Entry requirements

120 credits with at least 90 credits in Earth Sciences and 15 credits in Mathematics, or 90 credits in Physics.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• classify and understand different types of models in hydrology
• use hydrological models for flood forecasting, water resources assessment, impact assessment of climate change and land-used change
• evaluate hydrological models with respect to their applications on gauged and ungauged basins and on stationary/non-stationary climatic conditions
• apply commonly occurring parts/equations of which a groundwater or runoff model is constructed and thus understand how the model can and cannot be used
• evaluate groundwater resources using pumping data.
• estimate non-reactive and reactive contaminant spreading in groundwater
• apply models to geologically heterogeneous systems by means of geostatistical approaches and the estimation of uncertainties

Content

Mathematical description of basic processes: precipitation, evaporation, snow-melt, runoff, soil-water dynamics and groundwater recharge. Calibration, parameter optimisation, validation of run-off and groundwater models and their inherent uncertainty. Reservoir theory. Applications of HBV and Wasmod models.

Aquifers, land subsidence and groundwater resource evaluation. Estimation of transmissivity and storativity by Theis and Jacobs methods. Contaminant (non-reactive and reactive solutes) transport in groundwater. Modelling of contaminant transport in groundwater. Parameter estimation and geostatistical/stochastic approach to groundwater modelling. Special topics in groundwater modelling. Exercise with MODFLOW and GMS packages.

Instruction

Lectures, field work, computer exercises, project work.

Assessment

Course assessment consists of two written exams, one for groundwater ( 7 credits) and one for runoff ( 3 credits), along with approved project work and written and oral presentation of reports (5 credits).

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the disability coordinator of the university.